Marine-engine governor.



L. E. L. THEMKE a: E. LA FORGE.

MARINE ENGINE GOVERNOR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 24', 1908.

Patented Mar. 30,

@uuwttor/J:

UNITED rarest critic LOUIS E. L. THEMKE AND EUGENE LA FORCE, OF STRATHCONA. ALBERTA. CANADA.

MARINE-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed February 24, 1903. Serial No. 7,484.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Lotus E. L. THEM an and Evonxn LA Fonou, subjects of the King of Great Britain. residing at Straihcona. Alberta, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lilarineEngine Governors. of which the following a specilication.

in the operation of marine engines considerable dilliculty is frequently encountered in stormy weather owin to the fact that as the vessel tossed by the waves the propeller is at times cit-her partially or entirely 1 lifted out of the water, thereby reducing the resistance to the engine and causing the engine to run at. an abnormal high speed or to run away as it is commonly termed. In view of this fact it has become customary to provide a man for opening and closing the throttle valve of the engine as the vessel is tossed, but this expedient is more or less unsatisfactory since it is virtually impossible for the man to operate the valve at the proper time.

The object of the present invention has accordingly been to design a novel form of governor which will operate in an entirely automatic and reliable manner to open and close the throttle valve at the exact time required to properly control the engine.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result. reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a vessel having the governor applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the wheel upon the throttle rod. Egg. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The invention is shown for the purpose of pcilcr Q as in the present instance. A flange 3 is provided at the upper end of the guide tube by means of which the latter is secured to the vessel and a brace 9 is utilized for reinforcing the tube against lateral movement. Operating within this tube 7 is a float l0 and projecting upwardly from the tloat is a rod 11 passing through a stutting box 12 at the upper end of the guide tube. ll will thus be apparent that the tube serves the double function of guiding the float in its vertical movement and also of constituting a guard to protect the float. Adjustably clamped by means of the set screw 12-) lo the upper end of the tloai rod it is a. head t l. the said head loosely engaging a guide rod 15 and also being provided with means for engaging a flexible member or cable it). The guide rod 15 is secured to the frame 17 which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured within the interior of the vessel, and stops 1.8 are adjustably mounted upon the guide rod to limit the vertical movement of the head. the said stoos being shown in the present construction as constituted by set. collars. Extending downwardly from the head 14 the flexible member 16 which passes around a guide member or pulley l9 and then extends forwardly and around a guide member 20, downwardly and around a guide member forwardl' and around a whee upon the throttle rod '-'l-. rcarwardly and around a guide member 23 lt)(fll((l adjacent the before mentioned guide member upwardly and rearwardly around a guide member 24, and thence ll()\VH\V2U(ll V to the counter-weight to which its extremity is attached. Vii-h this construction it will be obvious that the lloat l0 and weight 35 will rise and fall simultaneously with each other. the said members rising when the propeller is submerged and dropping when the propeller is partially or ontircly lifted above the surface of the water. in this manner motion is transmitted through the medium of the flexible member 1b from the float to the wheel 22 upon the throttle rod, the said wheel being turned in one direction as the float drops and in the opposite direction when the float is clevatcd. In this connection, it may be stated that the flexible member 16 is preferably in the nature of a steel cable having a chain 16 interposed in the length thereof, the said chain engaging teeth upon the periphery of the wheel 22. This wheel 22 is loose through the medium of he hand lever lion-ever when the clamping screw 21' is tightened the wheel 22 is rigid with the throttle rod and.thc lioat l0 and weight 25 t automatically to open and close the salve as the ion r s'and falls owin to tl action of the waves. When the propelhr 2 entirely submerged the float it) is lovatcd within the guide tube T and the "nrottle valve opened to permit the en- ='ines running under full steam. I soon however, the propeller is entirely or partially litted out of the water the float 10 drop; within the guide tube and operates to 'oniatically decrease the supply of motive nuid to the engines the required amount so to cause the engines to run at normal speed and prevent them from running For the purpose of preventing the weight 25 from swinging like 'a pendulum the vessel rocks, a guide bar 29 is utilized, the said guide bar having a sliding connection with a member 30 carried by the weight, such a construction 1;)er1nitting the weigl'it to move freely in a vertical direction but preventing lateral displacement. It will be observed that int-he present instance a brace member 2-31 is provided to prevent bending of the throttle rod due to the tension in the Flexible member 16. This brace may project from any suitable support and is provided with a bearing loosely receiving the throttle rod at a point adjacent the wheel It is also desired to call attention to the specific formation of the float 10, the upper and lower ends of the same having a conical shape and being pointed to admit of the Float risii'ig and falling without occasioning the shock which would be present with a lioat provided with flat-ends.

From the toreg mg descr1pt1on 1t will be readily apparent that we have "invented an improved marine engine governor which comprises .few and simple parts and will operate automatically and with absolute precision to prevent the engine attaining an abnormal speed in stormy weather.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed as new is:

"l. A marine engine governor comprising a float, a wheel loose upon the throttle rod, a member rigid with the throttle rod and having a pin and slot connection with the wheel, means for clamping the wheel to the said i'nember, and means for transmitting motion from the float to the wheel.

A marine engine governor comprising a float, a wheel loose upon the throttle rod and provided with a slot, a second wheel rigid with thethrottle rod, a clamping screw extending through the slot and cooperating with the second. mentioned wheel to clamp the first mentioned wheel rigidly therewith or permit the same to move independently thereof and means for transmitting motion from the float to the first mentioned wheel.

3. A marine engine governorcomprising a float a rod projecting from the float, a head carried by the rod, a guide member for directing the movements of the head, a wheel upon the throttle rod, a vertically movable weight, and a flexible member extending around the wheel upon the throttle rod. one end of the flexible member being connected to the head of the rod upon the float while the opposite end is connected to the weight, the weight and float being mounted to rise and fall together.

4. A marine 'engii'ie governor comprising a float, a rod projecting from the float, a head carried by the rod, a guide member for directing the movements of the head, adjustable stoos upon the guide member for limiting the movement or the head, and means codperating with the head for controlling the throttle valve. I

In testii'nony whereof we afli x our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

no n. L. THEMKE. L s.] EUGENE 1a renew. the

lvitnesses ALFRED L. MARKS, Jot-ix LAVELL. 

